Rammer device for missile loading systems



p 1961 R. E. CARLBERG ET AL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled Oct. 7, 1953 SIdney Hersh %/Z@% a? Sept. 26, 1961 R. E. CARLBERGET AL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Oct. 7. 1953 INVENTORS bert E. Corlberg Sidney Hersh W ATTORNEYSBY 4 WM Sept. 26, 1961 R. E. CARLBERG ETAL 3,

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. '7. 1953 9Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Robert E. Corlberg Sidney Hersh ATTORNEYS P1961 R. E. CARLBERG ET AL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. 7. 1953 9Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS Robert E. Corlberg Sidney Hersh a 6 ATTORNEYS p1961 R. CARLBERG ET AL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. 7, 1953 9Sheets-Sheet 5 I: g INVENTORS Robert E. Corlberg Sidney Hersh Sept. 26,1961 R. E. CARLBERG ETAL ,001,

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. '7. 1953 9Sheets-Sheet 6 i E. Carlberg l Sidney Hersh mu! ATTORNEYS INVENTORSSept. 26, 1961 R. E. CARLBERG ETAL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. 7. 1953 9Sheets-Sheet '7 L\ gl INVENTORS Robert E.Corlberg .3} Sidney Hersh WATTORNEYS ET AL 3,001,454

Sept. 26, 1961 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 11-1 E G M E Roberr E Curlbe SidneyHersh INVENTORS Q l'uv (Q6 ATTORNEYS R. E. CARLBERG RAMMER DEVICE FORMISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed Oct. 7, 1953 Sept. 26, 1961 R. E.CARLBERG ETAL 3,001,454

RAMMER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Original Filed 001;. '7, 19559 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS Robert "E. Corlberg Sidney Hersh ATTORNEYS3,001,454 RAMlVIER DEVICE FOR MISSILE LOADING SYSTEMS Robert E.Carlberg, Falls Church, Va., and Sidney Hersh,

Silver Spring, Md., assignors to the United States of.

America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Original applicationOct. 7, 1953, Ser. No. 384,801, now

PatentedS'ept. 26, 195i ice ing system indicating the manner in whichthe several 7 portions may be mounted upon the deck of a vessel with theassembly stand and loading mechanism of the system Patent No. 2,985,072,dated May 23, 1961. Divided and this application Nov. 2, 1954, Ser. No.466,462

6 Claims. (CI. 89-47) (Granted under Title '35, US. Code (1952), see.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties theron or therefor.

This application is a division of the copending application of Robert E.Carlberg and Sidney Hersh for Missile Launching System, Serial No.384,801, filed on October 7, 1953, now Patent No. 2,985,072.

The present invention relates to missile launching systems and moreparticularly to that type which is adapted for and designed to be usedon shipboard and provided with a three-axis stabilized launcher.However, it is to be understood that the invention may be practicedother than on shipboard such as at stationary launcher sites. Thepresent invention is particularly suitable for the launching of guidedmissiles, rocket and similar selfpowered devices.

Heretofore, none of the missile launching systems have been entirelysatisfactory for shipboard launching of a pulse jet, wing type guidedmissile. One of the reasons why the prior launching systems have notbeen entirely satisfactory for shipboard launching of the afore-memtioned type missile isth-at none of them have employed a launcherconstructed for three axis stabilization.

With the foregoing in mind it is an object of this invention to providea rammer device for a missile launching system particularly adapted forshipboard use in launching a guided missile of the foldable wing typeand which may be powered by a pulse jet motor, if so desired.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of arammer device for a missile launching system which may be convenientlyoperated by shipboard personnel within a protective structure while theship is under fire.

A further object is the provision of a missile ramming device which willram the missiles from a convenient enclosed in-a housing, the missilesbeing disclosed by broken lines in' supported positionfupon the assemblystand and loading mechanism and by broken lines in a supported launchingposition upon the launcher. mecha- FIG. 3 is a top plan View of amissile launching system including the rammer of the present inventionand mounted upon the deck of a vessel;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of a loading mechanism and the rammingmechanism of the instant invention operatively connected with theloading mechanim and with a missile secured thereto for ramming;

FIGS is a top plan view of the loader and a portion of the rammer, onemissile being illustrated in phantom in the ready-service position onthe loader;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of the loading mechanism of FIG. 4 andthe ramming mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the loading mechanism of FIG. 4 and theramming mechanism of the instant invention with the shuttle car bufferstop removed and certain portions of the supporting structure brokenaway' to better disclose the mechanism ofthe rammer;

, FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the rammer head assembly withportions shown in horizontal section;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the rammer head assembly; and 7FIG. 10 is a schematic showing of the shuttle car and rammer chainactuating mechanisms.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings and moreparticularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 wherein various components andmechanisms of a suitable missile launching system are illustrated in amanner to indicate the cooperating relationship. between therammerdeviceof height for operating personnel, prior to ramming, to make preflightinspections, adjustments and repairs.

A still further object resides in the provision of a missile rammingdevice which is enclosed within the structure of the ship and sopositioned as to require no lifting of the missile during the loadingoperation.

Yet another object resides in the provision of a new and novel rammingmechanism for accomplislu'ng a transfer of a missile from the loader tothe loaded position on the launcher when the loader and launcher arepositioncd in longitudinal engaging alignment with one an other.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a missile launching systemembodying a rammer mechanism in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the rammer device of the presentinvention and an associated missile launchthe present invention and theremainder of the system, it will be observed that the system includes athree-axis stabilized launcher 10, a loading mechanism 11, thenovelramming mechanism 12 of this invention, and an assembly'stand 13, eachof which will now be described gen 'erally in order to facilitate aclear understanding ofthe detailed description of the ramming mechanismappearing hereinafter. It will be understood that the, specific detailsof the launching system are disclosed by'way of example only and thatother launchers and loading mechanisms may exist or be invented whichwould be suitablefor use with the present invention,

The launcher 10 is a power driven remotely controlled mount having thelaunching rails 14 stabilized so as to maintain a fixed attitude withrespect to the horizon in elevation. and cross traverse as will becomemore fully apparent as the description proceeds. The launcher 10 ismuzzle loaded 'by the novel power driven, manually controlled,horizontal ramming mechanism 12 of the present invention. The novelramming mechanism 12 includes a rammer chain 15 with a rammingheadassembly 16 connected thereto in any suitable manner, such forexample, as by a pin or the like as more clearly shown on FIGS. 7 and 8.The ramming head assembly 16 engages the' lower rear launching shoe 17of each missile to be transferred from the loader to the launcher orvice versa, the aforesaid missile being provided with an additional pairof upper front shoes 17, the purpose of which will be more readilyapparent as the description proceeds. By reason of the chainconstruction the links thereof are movable pivotally in but onedirection and also provide a rigid structure for moving the rammermechanism 12 in mechanism 11 and the launcher is secured to thetrainable portion of the launcher.

The loading mechanism 11 includes a rigid structure 19, fixedly securedto a suitable foundation 21 provided upon deck 22 of a ship 23. Theloading mechanism 11 further includes a shuttle car 24 which is powerdriven by apparatus to be later described and which is adapted to carrya plurality of missiles M2 and M3, two being shown in the drawings forpurposes of description. One of the two missiles which are carried byshuttle car 24 will always be aligned with the launcher loadingposition, as best illustrated in FIG. 3. The shuttle car 24 is mountedupon suitable transverse guide rails 25 and 26 so as to permitoscillation of shuttle car 24 athwartship.

The assembly stand 13 is rigidly secured to foundation 21, to provide astructure upon which the missile components may be assembled after beingremoved from the shipping crates. After assembly of the missile onassembly stand '13, the missile is checked out for satisfactoryoperation and moved by any suitable means such, for example, as byoverhead trolley (not shown) onto shuttle car 24 on the loadingmechanism.

All components and mechanisms of the missile launching system with theexception of the launcher are enclosed within a suitable housing 27having sliding doors 28 which, when open, provide an opening or travelspace for a missile at the launching position to be rammed from theloading mechanism 11 onto the spanner rail 18 and the launcher 10 at theappropriate time. Sliding doors 28 are normally closed except duringramming of a missile from the loading mechanism to the launcher.

It will be apparent that in the event the missile launching system ismounted on the forward portion of a ship, the loading mechanism, theramming mechanism, and the assembly stand will all be secured to thedeck of the vessel aft of the launcher. On the other hand, in the eventthe system is mounted on the aft portion of the vessel, theafore-mentioned components other than the launcher will be secured tothe deck of the vessel forward of the launcher. Obviously any othersuitable arrangement of the various components of the system may beemployed if so desired.

The ramming mechanism of the present invention will now be described indetail.

The rammer 12 includes a power driven rammer chain 15 having a rammerhead assembly 16 provided thereon, as aforementioned. Rammer chain 15 isguided through housing 115 and over sprocket 114 which is mechanicallyconnected to a suitable gear reduction unit 120, the latter beinghydraulically connected to power drive 101 in any suitable manner such,for example, as that shown in FIG. 10.

Shaft 151 of electric motor 101 is connected to wobble plate 152 torotate the latter in response to operation of the motor. A pumpingaction is thus produced within pump 153 which is connected to a sourceof hydraulic fluid. Hydraulic lines 154 and 155 connect pump 153 to thehydraulic side 156 of wobble plate 157 thereby to rotate shaft 153.Clutch 159 may be controlled in any suitable fashion, a manual controllever 161) being shown, and connects shaft 158 with gear reduction unit120 to thereby actuate rammer chain 15 by way of sprocket wheel 114. Anysuitable interlock, not shown, may be employed for preventingsimultaneous operation of the rammer and shuttle car. The position ofthe rammer is manually controlled by either handwheel 137 or 138, asdesired, each of which regulates hydraulic power drive 101 and,consequently, gear reduction unit 120. The rammer head 16 engages thelowermost shoe 17 on the missile and pushes the missile along and off ofthe shuttle car rails 97 and 98, rails 112 and 99 on track section 109,and onto the registering spanner rail 18 and the launcher rails 36, 37,and 38. Prior to ramming, all movable structures which determine theramming path are locked together by suitable hydraulic latches, notshown, so that they will not shift relative to one another. It will beunderstood that rails -97 and 98 on the shuttle car and rails 36 and 37on the launcher engage the uppermost shoes 17 carried by the missileandrail 99 carried by the shuttle frame and rails 18 and 38'carried by thelauncher engage the lowermost shoe 17 on the missile.

The rammer head assembly 16, FIGS. 8 and 9, includes laterally spacedwalls 116 within which the missile gripping and releasing mechanism 117is partially enclosed. A deceleration and missile retraction latch 118which is spring loaded by spring 119 is pivotally connected upon stud121 which is secured in an erect positioncn the floor 122 of rammer headassembly 16. The deceleration and missile retraction latch 118 isprovided with a hooked portion 123 for engagement behind the lowermissile launching shoe 17 of a missile, the leading surface of hookportion 123 being inclined so as to provide a cam surface 124 adapted tobeengaged by the lower shoe 17 after the shoe has been inserted in lowerrail 99 on the shuttle carframe and moves the latch 118 an amountsufficiently to permit the hookedportion 123 thereon to engage and lockthe'lower shoe-17 to the head as more clearly shown on FIG. 8. It willbe understood that the rammer head is normally disposed in longitudinalalignment with lower rail 99, the head being adapted to travel alongrail 99 on the shuttle car frame and lower rails 18 and 38 on thelauncher during a missile ramming and releasing operation.

When shoe 17 is encountered by hook portion 123 in response to a forwardmotion of rammer chain 15, cam surface 124 will ride over the surface ofshoe 17 to thereby laterally displace latch 118 against the action ofspring 119. When the hook portion 123 has cleared shoe 17, spring 119forces latch 118 into the position shown in FIG. 8, whereby the missileis secured to the rammer head assembly 16 for either loading onto thelauncher or retraction therefrom, as the case. may be.

The lower launching shoe 17 is released from the rammer head assemblywhen trigger 125 strikes stop 126 on the launcher during the loadingoperation whereupon the trigger is moved against the action of spring127 in such manner that the offset lug 128 thereon rides underprojection 12? and into space or recess 131 of scar 132 which isresiliently loaded by spring 133. The sear 132 then swings on pivot 121in response to the release of its spring load so that finger 134thereon'presses outwardly against the latch 118 thereby moving hookportion 123 to the unlatched position. Rammer head assembly 16 can thenbe returned to its initial position where it may be reset by hand.

It will be readily apparent that during a retraction opera-tion as whenit is desired to remove a missile from the launcher rather than tolaunch the missile, shoe 17 is secured to the rammer head assembly inthe manner aforedescribed. The rammer head assembly together with themissile to which it is connected is next retracted to the loadingmechanism 11. Trigger 125 is then manually actuated to release the lowershoe 17 whereupon the missile may be lifted from the loading mechanismby the overhead trolley crane, mentioned hereinbefore.

It will be understood that the lower rail section 99 on the frame of theloading mechanism 11, is provided with a lower guideway 134 which is ofa shape substantially corresponding to an inverted T and whichcooperates with similar guideways in rails 18 and 38 when the loader andlauncher are in a loading position, FIG. 1. This T- shaped guidewayaccommodates a guide 135 which is mounted on the undersurface 136 offloor 122 of the rammer head assembly and in engagement with lower shoe17 when the shoe is locked to the rammer head. Guide 135 and lower shoe17 are of a shape complementary to guideway 134 and are adapted to beinserted into the guideway from the end thereof, it being understoodthat rails 18 and 38 on the launcher align with rail 99 on the shuttlecar frame when the loader and launcher are in a loading position.

The movement of rammer chain may be controlled by either handwheel 137or 138, as previously mentioned.

The rammer mechanism 12 operates to move rammer head 16 slowly forwarduntil the rear missile launching shoe 17 is connected to rammer head 16.The sliding doors 28 are next opened and the launcher is positioned intrain, elevation, and cross traverse to the loading position and lockedas is best indicated in FIG. 1.

The missile is now rammed to the loaded position on launcher 10whereupon the rammer head 16 automatically releases the missile lowerlaunching shoe 17 at the end of the rammer stroke and rammer chain isretracted.

Briefly summarizing it will be apparent that the launcher is loaded fromthe muzzle thereof by the use of a power driven, manually controlledhorizontal rammer of the unidirectional chain type. The rammer isprovided with a ramming head assembly which is so constructed as toenable the rammer to either move a missile forward under positivecontrol or to retract a missile from the launcher as desired.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A ramming mechanism for ramming a missile onto a missile launcherincluding a ramming chain, a power driven sprocket wheel drivinglyconnected to said chain, a rammer head connected to one end of saidchain, means including a normally locked member pivotally mounted onsaid rammer head for positively coupling said head to the missile to beloaded onto the launcher, a spring biased element having a lug inlocking engagement with said member for maintaining the member in alocked condition until said spring biased element is moved apredetermined amount, a recess formed in said member in the path oftravel of said lug and cooperating with said lug for releasing themember as the lug is moved into alignment with said recess in responseto movement of the spring biased element said predetermined amount, andmeans in engagement with said member for moving the member an amountsufliciently to uncouple said head and chain from a missile as themember is released, said ramming chain being mounted in longitudinalalignment with the longitudinal axis of the launcher when the latter isin loading position.

2. A ramming mechanism for ramming a missile onto a missile launcherincluding a ramming chain mounted in longitudinal alignment with thelongitudinal axis of the launcher, a power driven sprocket wheeldrivingly connected to said chain, a rammer head connected to one end ofsaid chain, a latch member pivotally carried by said rammer head inengagement with said missile for looking the head to said missile, anormally locked sear pivotally secured to said rammer head in engagementwith said latch member for maintaining said latch member in engagementwith said missile until said sear is released, spring loading means inengagement with said sear for urging said sear and latch member to arelease position thereby to release said head from a missile, a latchtrigger in slidable engagement with said sear and movable from a firstposition to a second position for maintaining the sear and latch in a.locked condition against the action of said spring loading means untilsaid latch trigger has been moved to said second position, cooperatingmeans on said scar and trigger for releasing said sear as said latchtrigger is moved to said second position.

3. A mechanism for ramming a missile onto a missile launcher including aramming and retraction chain, a power driven sprocket wheel drivinglyconnected to said chain, a rammer head secured to one end of said chain,latch means pivotally contained in and carried by said head 'forreleasably locking the head to a missile and cooperating withcomplementary means on said movable means for releasing the member asthe movable means is moved said predetermined amount, and-means on saidmember in engagement with said latch means for moving the latch means tosaid release position as said member is actuated to said unlockedposition by the spring means.

4. A claim according to claim 3 and including a spring in engagementwith said latch means and the normally locked member for urging saidlaltch means and the member from the released position to an initialposition.

5. A mechanism for ramming a missile onto a missile launcher includingaramming and retraction chain, a power driven sprocket wheel drivinglyconnected to said chain, a rammer head secured to one end of the chain,latch' means contained in and pivotally mounted on said head forreleasably locking the head to a missile and for releasing the head fromthe missile as the latch means is actuated to a release position, anormally locked member contained in and pivotally mounted on said headin engagement with said latch means, spring means in engagement withsaid normally locked member ,for actuating the member to an unlockedposition as the member is released, a spring biased trigger contained inand carried by the head, a lug on one end of said trigger in engagementwith the member for maintaining the member locked against the action ofsaid spring means until said trigger is moved a predetermined amount, arecess in said member cooperating with said lug as the trigger is movedsaid predetermined amount for releasing the member, and a finger on saidmember in engagement with the latch means for moving the latch means tosaid release position as the member is actuated to the'unlocked positionby said spring means.

6. -A ramming mechanism for ramming a missile onto a missile launcherincluding a movable chain, a power driven sprocket wheel drivinglyconnected to said chain, a rammer head secured to one end of said chain,means including a normally locked member pivotally mounted on saidrammer head for positively coupling said chain,

to the missile to be loaded for moving the latter onto the launcher, aspring biased trigger having a lug on one end thereof in engagement withsaid member for maintaining the member in a normally locked conditionuntil said trigger is moved a predetermined amount, a recess 7 on saidmember cooperating with said lug for releasing the member when saidspring biased trigger is moved said predetermined amount, and means inengagement with said member for actualting the member to an unlockedposition as the member is released whereby the chain is uncoupled fromsaid head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,425,425 Iorgensen Aug. 12, 1941

